Steady-state kinetics of the overall oxidative phosphorylation reaction in heart mitochondria. Determination of the coupling relationships between the respiratory reactions and miscellaneous observations concerning rate-limiting steps

The linear sequence of steps involved in the oxidation of extramitochondrial succinate by O₂ in bovine heart mitochondria was examined by a steady-state kinetic method to determine whether or not freely diffusible intermediates occur between the various inhibitor-sensitive steps. The kinetic method is based on the facts (1) that if two inhibitor-sensitive steps within a sequence are linked by a freely diffusible intermediate, inhibition of one will make the other less rate limiting in the overall reaction and thus will increase the amount of inhibitor of the other step required for half-maximal inhibition of the overall reaction, and (2) that if the two steps are not linked in this manner, inhibition of one will make the other more rate limiting and thus will decrease the amount of inhibitor of the other required for half-maximal inhibition. These two types of coupling relationships between steps were designated as sequential and fixed, respectively. The results indicate the existence of freely diffusible intermediates (sequential coupling relationships) between the succinate transport and succinate dehydrogenase reactions, between the succinate dehydrogenase and cytochromebc ₁ reactions, and between the cytochromesbc ₁ andaa ₃ reactions. Uncoupling respiration from phosphorylation results in the coupling relationship between thebc ₁ andaa ₃ reactions becoming partially fixed. This change is accompanied by marked decreases in the degrees to which thebc ₁ andaa ₃ reactions limit the overall reaction and appears to account for the large uncoupler-induced releases of inhibition at the levels of thebc ₁ andaa ₃ reactions observed previously by others. It is suggested that cytochromec is the freely diffusible intermediate between thebc ₁ andaa ₃ reactions and that the uncoupler-induced changes occur as a result of formation of functional and highly efficient supercomplexes between cytochromec and the cytochromesbc ₁ andaa ₃ complexes.     

Phloem unloading and ‘sink strength’: The parallel between the site of attachment of Cuscuta and developing legume seeds

Sink regions play a central role in determining assimilate distribution patterns. Two factors are discussed which have a strong effect on the sink strength of a sink, viz. phloem unloading and turgor-sensitive transport. Sink strength may be defined as the capacity of phloem in the sink region to import assimilates from other parts of the plants and to release the imported substances into the sink apoplast.A stem parasitized by Cuscuta represents a very strong sink. A review is presented of data on enhanced phloem unloading, at the site of attachment of Custuta. Recent data on metabolically controlled sucrose and amino acid unloading into the seed coat apoplast of developing legume seeds show a remarkable parallel with phloem unloading in a parasitized Vicia faba stem. Data on turgor-sensitive sucrose and amino acid transport into developing seeds are presented, which throw new light on the pressure flow theory of phloem transport.     

Utilisation of wild relatives in the genetic improvement of Arachis hypogaea L.

Summary Cross-compatibility of species in section Arachis Krap. et Greg. nom. nud., and chromosome pairing and pollen fertility in their interspecific F₁ hybrids were studied to further understand the phylogenetic relationships among these species. Except those with A. batizocoi Krap. et Greg. nom. nud., hybrids between diploid species have near normal bivalent frequency (9.1–9.8) and moderate to high pollen fertility (60–91%). Hybrids between A. batizocoi and other species have low bivalent frequency (5.2–6.9) and very low pollen fertility (3–7%). These results confirm the earlier separation of these species into two groups based on karyomorphology and Mahalanobis D² calculated on arm ratios. These studies also provide a picture of relative affinities between A. batizocoi, the lone member of one cluster, and the other species, and among the rest of the species. They also indicate that the basic chromosome complement in the two groups of species is the same. Chromosome pairing in triploid hybrids, (A. hypogaea L. X diploid wild species), suggests that A. batizocoi is the closest diploid relative of A. hypogaea. It is closer to A. hypogaea subspecies fastigiata Waldron than to A. hypogaea subspecies hypogaea Krap. et. Rig. Other diploid species of the section Arachis are equidistant from A. hypogaea, and have the same genome which has strong homology to one of the genomes of A. hypogaea. Based on the present results, the two tetraploid species, A. monticola Krap. et Rig. and A. hypogaea can be recognised as two forms of the same species. Breeding implications have been discussed in the light of chromosome behaviour observed in hybrids of A. hypogaea X diploid species, and on the presumptions that A. hypogaea has an AABB genomic constitution, and that among the diploid species, the B genome is present in A. batizocoi while the A genome is common to the other diploid species of section Arachis.Submitted as Journal Article No. 328 by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)     

Poly (8-bromo-2′-deoxyadenylic acid): The syn/anti relationship

The synthesis of a high-molecular-weight, putatively all-syn DNA analogue, poly(8-bromo-2′-deoxyadenylic acid), is described. The syn → anti transition was shown to be both salt and temperature dependent. Conditions were found which favored ‘normal’ Watson-Crick pairing and duplex formation with poly(dT).     

Kinetics of functional and morphological changes during decoupling and recoupling induced by glycerol in isolated muscle fibres of the crayfish

Summary The development of ultrastructural changes in the T-system of isolated muscle fibres of the crayfish by the glycerol procedure is described in correlation with the dissociation of excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling as well as with recoupling of the E-C link. The sequence of events in the process of disconnection of the tubules is as follows: dilation of the T-system tubules, disconnection of the constricted tubular segments from the surface membrane and from the T-system vesicle, disappearance of the lumen and its disintegration. The decoupled state is characterised by the presence of round vesicles uniformly distributed in the entire volume of the fibre. The volume of vesicles accounts well for the residual postglycerol volume increase (15%) of the muscle fibres. Functional and structural recovery can be induced by reapplication of glycerol to fibres decoupled and vesiculated with concentrations of glycerol300mmol · l^-1 in crayfish saline. The restitution starts with the organisation of the material of the disintegrated connecting segment of the T-system tubule into small vesicles which coalesce to form the tubule from the vesicular site. At the same time the surface membrane is invaginated toward the vesicle, thus forming the tubule from the surface membrane site. Recovery starts already in the first minute after application of glycerol and is completed within approximately 15min.     

Lipoprotein immunogenetics in primates. I. Two serum beta-lipoprotein allotypes (Lmb1 and Lmb11) in rhesus monkeys and the LP-B immunological relationship with other primates

Immunogenetic investigations on two serum beta-lipoprotein allotypes of rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) are reported. The allotypes, designated Lmb1 and Lmb11, are associated with the main lipoprotein family, LP-B or beta-lipoprotein, expressed on independent beta-molecules, and classify rhesus monkeys into three phenotypes: Lmb1, Lmb11, and Lmb1,11. Genetic and molecular studies indicate that the allotypes are encoded by two codominant autosomal allelic genes, Lmb1 and Lmb11. Anti-Lmb1 cross-reacts with the sera of two other macaque species, whereas anti-Lmb11 with sera of all Old World monkeys. Heteroimmune sera, antihuman apo-B and antirhesus LP-B, showed high but diversified degrees of cross reactivity with other primates.     

The Effect of Some Protein and Non-Protein Amino Acids on the Growth of Cladosporium herbarum and Trichothecium roseum

The effect of ten amino acids as the sole nitrogen source for the growth of Cladosporium herbarum (Link.) Fr. and Trichothecium roseum (Bull.) Link. was studied in order to clarify the fungus-host plant relationship. Special attention was paid to some rare non-protein amino acids of legumes. The best nitrogen sources for both fungi were γ-aminobutyric acid, arginine, serine and proline. Cladosporium could use homoarginine and canavanine, but these two amino acids were not used by Trichothecium when each was given as the only nitrogen source. Both fungi utilized ornithine, homoserine and a,γ-diaminobutyric acid to a limited extent. Pipecolic acid was not growth promoting. The growth-retarding effects of rare non-protein amino acids (homoarginine, canavanine, a,γ-diaminobutyric acid and pipecolic acid) were usually reversed by higher concentrations of their normal analogues. It is possible that rare non-protein amino acids may slightly protect the host plant against fungal infections, but there are clear differences between fungi in their reaction to non-protein amino acids.     

Fish community structure in lakeshore lagoons on long point,lake Erie,Canada

Synopsis The interaction of fluctuating water level and the Long Point topography is discussed with regard to the formation of lake-shore lagoons and their subsequent invasion by fishes. The species composition of fish communities in these lagoons was determined by 12 collections from lagoons (23 m² to 25 ha) which yielded 33 fish species. The relationship of the number of fish species to lagoon area was lognormal; that is, with increasing lagoon area the number of species rose rapidly at first but soon decreased sharply, probably limited by the number of species capable of surviving in the habitat. The marked effect of area on species number in small lagoons is considered in the context of a hypothetical seasonal pattern of occasional invasion and continuous extinction.A sequence of reproductive guilds was found. In beach lagoons psammophils and lithophils were dominant. In a large vegetated lagoon in the interior phytophils and speleophils were dominant. This sequence was paralleled by an increase in the proportion of guarding and nesting species in the communities. The sequence was disrupted in the small interior lagoons where adaptations for survival were more important than reproductive strategy.     

Application of the ‘profiles of relationship’ method to distantly related proteins

Summary An analysis is made of the applicability of the recently published profiles of relationship method for establishing evolutionary relatedness among proteins by using the distantly related proinsulin and neurotoxin protein se-quences as a test object. The method is based on a simultaneous group analysis of both the frequency of acceptance of mutations and their genetic code inter-changeability. Regularities in the patterns of the profiles, which reflect decreased similarity with the passage of time, are established for typical cases of closely related, distantly related and unrelated proteins. This makes it possible to distinguish distantly related from unrelated proteins without extensive statistical randomization procedures. New evidence is stated in favour of a previously suggested definition of interchangeability which does not consider the third base in the codon. The applicability of the profiles of relationship method is examined on the distant relationship between proinsulin and the snake and scorpion neurotoxins which has been established previously by means of conventional approaches.     

兰属(Cymbidium)5种植物叶结构特征

采用光学显微镜和体视镜,对兰属5种植物（春兰、蕙兰、建兰、寒兰、墨兰）的叶结构特征（叶脉结构、叶表皮结构、解剖结构）进行了观察和测量。结果显示,兰属5种植物的叶脉结构相似,叶表皮结构和解剖结构存在较大差异,其中最主要的差异是皮下纤维束的多少和边缘角质层锯齿形态。依据叶结构特征聚类分析结果,5种兰可分为春兰组、建兰组和墨兰组3组。本研究表明叶结构特征对兰属5种植物的分类具有重要意义。